Omagh families ‘inspired’ by Stardust survivors’ victory

FAMILIES bereaved by the Omagh bomb have reached out to victims of the Stardust nightclub tragedy to express ‘solidarity and support’ and to invite them to Tyrone’s county town.

Taoiseach Simon Harris this week delivered a formal State Apology to survivors of the 1981 Dublin fire which claimed 48 lives.

Having campaigned for 43 years for justice for their loved ones, the Stardust families received the apology for the way in which the State handled the nightclub disaster which occurred on St Valentine’s night in the suburb of Artane.

In a sombre Dail session on Tuesday, the Wicklow TD said he ‘apologised unreservedly’ to the relatives of the victims of the disaster which he described as ‘humbling and emotional’.

They had previously met Mr Harris to discuss the wording of the statement earlier this week.

Last Thursday, a 12-person jury delivered the verdict of unlawful killing at a new inquest, and found that the fire was caused by an electrical fault in the nightclub.

This overturned the controversial verdict in the original 1982 Keane Tribunal that the blaze had been ‘probably caused deliberately’, a claim vigorously contested by the families in a four-decades long campaign.

The families were represented by Belfast firm, Phoenix Law, from solicitor, Darragh Mackin, and legal executive, Colm Dore.

Michael Gallagher, whose son, Aiden, was among the 31 victims, including two unborn twins, in the 1998 Omagh bomb, spoke with members of the Stardust survivors following their meeting with the Taoiseach in the Dail.

He said, “I was delighted to pass on congratulations and solidarity to them, and have admired their courage for many years. I remember the Dublin tragedy very clearly.”

He added, “We share similar campaigns for truth and justice and for accountability. In Omagh, we are only too aware of what these families went through for so long to make the authorities do the right thing.”

The campaigning Tyrone father who has led the Omagh Support and Self Help Group for more than 20 years extended an invite for the Dublin families to visit the town.

“When I spoke to them, I told them we would be delighted to host them here in Omagh and pass on our solidarity in person. We can all learn from and support each other with similar experiences. They are an inspiration to us all.”